Cleaning device for oil tanks and the like



May 1, 1928. 1,668,063

J. w. FORCE CLEANING DEVICE FOR OIL TANKS AND THE LIKE Filed May 10. 1927 g 51 5.5 1

:Iorm WFO QL May 1, 1928. I

J. W. FORCE CLEANING DEVICE FOR OIL TANKS AND THE LIKE Filed May 10. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wumdoz dorm HEO CL.

Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED em 12 5 JOHN w. 10mm wr 'om'ra rams, TEXAS.

CLEANING nEvIcE ron OIL warms AND THE 1.11m.

; Application lle'd'lay 1'0,

My invention relates to tank cleaning devices and more particularly to the treating of petroleum emulsions and removing the impurities after treatment has been applied; and the object is to provide devices lion-applying treating fluids and then-thoroughly agitating the treating fluids'and the contents oi the tank or receptacle and also to provide heating means to be app'liedduring the agitation of the liquids. Another object is to provide two sets of agitatingme'ans or apparatus which eanbe'used eparately. or 1H combination -to meet the various conditions found in actual service. Another object is to provide apparatus which is adapted both for agitating the liquids and for removing base settlings and all sludge from the ieceptacles. One object of this invention is to purify petroleum and various litplids, such as water treating, cliurning,"was ling. mixing or paints,and other operations in the industrial arts. Other objects and advantageswill be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this a'pplica tion.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a tank and vertical sections of the two agitating devices.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a tank and a vertical section of one agitating device and showing a variation in the agitating device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper agitating devices.

Fig. 4 is a brokenvertical section of a tank. showing the lower agitating devices, partly in section.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower agitating devices.

Fig. 6 is a broken view, showing a variation in the agitators which are attached to the bottom of the tank.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views. e

A section of a tank or receptacle 1 is shown in the drawings and a central hollow intake pipe 2 is anchored. to the bottom of the tank by means of a casting or bracket 3, but the pipe 2 does not extend entirely to the bottom, leaving an exit from the pipe into the space within the tank so that the tank may be filled with oil or with a treating fluid or other fluid let into the tank and by provided.

1927. 'Serial No. 190338.

which fluids and impurities may be forced out of the tank, as hereinafter explained.

Upper and lower agitating devices are The lower agitatingdevices include a gear whee a: whichis rotatable about A cone-shaped spreader 8 is attached to the gear wheel 4 and agitators 9 are attached to the spreader 8 and wheel 4. The agitators areso shaped as to sweep impurities-under the pipe 2. The impurities are removed througha discharge pipe, 10. Whenthe cock 11 is opened, the pressure of the fluid inthe under the; lower end of the pipe 2.

The "tank cleaner is provided with an up- "per set of agitating devices including a gear wheel 12 which is loosely mounted on the pipe 2. y The gear wheel 12 "is driven "by a pinion 13 which is rigid with the shaft 14. An open-bottom cylinder 15 is rigid with the gear"\vheel 112 and provided with vanes 16. object of the vanes 16 is to elevate the liquids through the cylinder 15. A pluralityof discharge vanes 17 is provided and these vane's 1 are interposed between disks 18;;the object being to throw liquids out at dilierent a'ngl'es or elevations. The upper-agitating devices will be driven by the gear wheels 12 and 13 and the shaft 14.

Variations are shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The vanes 19 are attached to the bottom of the tank. The vanes 19 are similar in shape to the vanes or agitators 9. When the fluid in the tank is given rotary motion by the agitators in the upper part of the tank, the impurities will be brought un der the pipe 2 because of the particular curvature of the vanes 19. The cylinder 20 is shown to be telescopic instead of the form shown in Fig. 1. One set of agitating or discharge vanes 21 is shown disposed between two disks 22. The driving gears for the agitating devices shown in Fig. 2 are placed abovethe agitating devices and connected thereto by a sleeve 23 which is rigid with the gear wheel 12 and with the cylinder 20.

The lower agitating devices shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are adapted for use independently of the agitating devices illustrated in the upper parts of Figs. 1 and 2. The devices of Figs. 4 and 5 are necessary for successful operation of the devices shown in the upper parts of Figs. 1 and 2. Short vanes the spindle 2and this gear wheel 4 is driven by a "pinion '5 which is driven by a shaft 6.

tank will force the impurities out through the pipe '10, the impurities being brought 24 are formed on extensions from the lower disk 22 for driving the fluid downwardly, thereby co-operating with the vanes 21.

hat I claim, is,- 1. A device of the character described comprising a central hollow receiving and discharge spindle, a discharge pipe commumcating with said spindle, a cone-shaped spreader rotatable about said spindle, means for spacing said spindle from the bottom of a tank, a gear wheel rigid with said spreader, and means for driving said gear wheel.

2. A device of the character described comprising in a liquid containing tank a central hollow spindle constituting a receiving and discharge pipe, means for anchoring said spindle to and above the bottom of said tank. a cone-shaped spreader rotatable about said spindle, agitators rigid with said spreader, a gear wheel rigid with said spreader, and means for driving said spread er gear wheel.

3. A device of the character described comprising in a liquid containing tank a central hollow spindle constituting a receiving and discharge pipe, means for anchoring said spindle to the bottom of said tank but spacing said spindle from the bottom of the tank, a cone-shaped spreaderrotatable about said spindle, gearing for rotating said spreader, agitators carried by said spreader for sweeping on the bottom of said tank and forcing impurities under said spindle, and a discharge pipe communicating with said spindle.

4. A device of the character described for a liquid containing tank comprising a hollow spindle constituting a receiving and discharge pipe, means for anchoring said spindle to and above the bottom of said tank, spreading and agitating means carried by said spindle, means for driving said spreader, liquid elevating and mixing means rotatable about said spindle, and means for driving said rotatable and mixing means.

5. A device ofthe character described for a liquid containing tank comprising a 1101 low spindle constituting a receiving and dis v charge pipe, means for. anchoring said spin dle'to and above the bottom of said tank, a spreader and agitating means carried by said spindle, means for driving said spreader liquid elevating and ,mixing means rotatable about said spindle consisting of an opendle and rotatable about said spindle con};

sisting of an open-bottom cylinder having elevating vanes in the lower end thereof and radially and downwardly spreading vanes carried on the upper end of said cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, and p a discharge pipe for said spindle.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand, this 19thday of March, 1927.

'JoI-IN w. FORCE. 

